


Flamel's Changes

by ThirteenRedVampireBites



Series: By Gray Light and Step to the Left [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Character Histories, Character(s) of Color, F/M, New headmaster, Pre-Hogwarts, Pre-Lightning Era, School Changes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:55:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23238826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThirteenRedVampireBites/pseuds/ThirteenRedVampireBites
Summary: Nicolas Flamel has been elected as Hogwarts' New Headmaster after the retirement of Albus Dumbledore. He's going to bring Wizarding Great Britain into the 20th century with the rest of the world, no matter what it takes.*Side story toBy Gray Light*
Relationships: Nicolas Flamel/Perenelle Flamel (Harry Potter)
Series: By Gray Light and Step to the Left [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1500266
Comments: 6
Kudos: 58





	Flamel's Changes

**Author's Note:**

> Friday's bit!
> 
> Other than that... Not much to say, so, I'll just move on!
> 
> Stay safe! Wash your hands! And if you're at home for self-isolation/quarantine, please keep yourselves occupied!
> 
> ~Kael

Soft music drifted through the length of the humid, plant filled room as its occupant moved between the shelves of garden beds with a large butterfly-painted watering can in his hand. Moving on from one shelf empty of any visible growth to another shelf across the aisle and a few feet away, the man did a small spin as he hummed along to the music. He tipped the watering can with a little shimmy of his hips, pouring water with a soft purple tint to it into the also seemingly empty garden bed. When all of the soil in the shelf was dark with water, he moved down to the next shelf, pouring the same water over some tiny sprouts of purple.

He was just moving on to the next shelf when a knock against the glass nearby stopped him. A furrow appeared between his eyebrows as he slowly set his watering can on an empty shelf before heading deeper into the greenhouse to search out one of the openable windows, clicking his tongue periodically as he moved.

Leaning over a raised table full of lazily writhing vines, he pushed the window open and in flew a small puff of brown and gray feathers. The owl flew around the ceiling for a moment before settling itself on the top of one of the shelf posts with a surprisingly low hoot for that tiny body.

“Did you bring a letter, sweet?” the man questioned as he closed the window and walked over. “I’m sure you did. How about we go into the house first before I take it? You can rest, and I’m sure that Perenelle would be happy to find you a fat juicy rat before you leave.” He held out his arm to the owl.

Big gold eyes blinked at the man before the owl carefully moved down off the post and onto his arm. Long claws dug into the leather vambrace on the man’s arm, and wings rose to keep balance as the man carried the owl out of the greenhouse and into the main part of the house.

“Perenelle, amore!” the man called as he walked through the halls into a well lit and frankly massive library. “We’ve a letter!”

A head of wild caramel blonde curls appeared around the top of some bookshelves. “A letter, you say,” she responded before her head disappeared again and a soft rushing sounded as she came rolling over on the rolling ladder. She slid down the ladder with a quick drop, landing cleanly on the floor before coming over. “Who’s it from then?”

“I haven’t looked yet, but our friend here looks a bit famished,” the man responded as he held the owl up to the perch near the fireplace. “And I thought that perhaps you’d like to be here when I opened it.”

“I quite agree,” Perenelle hummed, pulling her wand from behind her ear before summoning a fat gray rat that squeaked and squirmed in her hold before she set it onto the platform of the perch for their new companion. “One fat rat for a well flying Owl,” she announced, watching as the rat attempted to run but couldn’t escape the platform or the watchful eye of the owl who bobbed happily before holding out his leg with the missive attached to her. She removed the missive before stepping back and returning the parchment to its proper size. “Nicolas Flamel, the Nursery, Chateau Flamel. Seems Hogwarts has something to ask you, love.” She handed the letter over to Nicolas with a smirk.

Nicolas rolled his eyes fondly before flicking the wax seal open and unfolding the parchment. “Dear Nicolas,” he began to read, walking across a lovely genuine Persian carpet to the couch in front of the fireplace. “This letter is to inform you that per the Hogwarts Charter regarding choosing a new Head Teacher, you have been chosen as the newest Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please respond with your decision by no later than June twenty-first. Yours, Albus Dumbledore.”

The room was silent except for the terrified squeaking of the rat for a long moment as Perenelle and Nicolas both processed the information. After that moment, Perenelle looked over from where she was leaning against the corner of the bookshelf and couldn’t help but ask, “What do you think, Nicolas?”

Nicolas tapped the parchment against his lips as he thought about how he was feeling at this offer. It took a moment for him to get his thoughts in order before he could finally speak them. “Olympe has written often about her worries of Hogwarts’ education level,” he started slowly as he dropped his arms into his lap and stared into the flames of the heatless fire in the fireplace. “And how seemingly no one in Britain seems to care… Perhaps this could be an opportunity to see the school of all our beginning returned to its proper glory. It could be a Phoenix rise for Hogwarts back to the front of everyone’s minds.”

“So, you’ll take it?” Perenelle questioned.

Nicolas looked up at her and raised an eyebrow, “Yes, _we’ll_ take it. I am not going to do this alone, nor am I going to be separated from you for ten months other than weekends and breaks.”

Perenelle smiled lovingly at him and walked over to stand before him. She shifted into the space between his knees when he opened the space for her and wrapped his hands around her waist. She put her hands on his cheeks, pressing a light kiss to his mouth before pulling away only the slightest bit to speak to him, “I wouldn’t want to be separated from you either, love. And I know you promised Branwen to watch out for the school.”

“I did promise her,” Nicolas agreed with a sigh. “And I feel that I have not done my best to fulfil that promise to her.”

“This will be your chance to not only fulfil that promise but also see her again, since I have heard that there is a portrait of her hanging in Hogwarts’ halls.” Perenelle pressed another brief kiss to his mouth before she pulled back and patted his cheek lightly. “Write a response, then we’ll sit down and figure out what needs done first.” She pulled away and moved over to one of the round tables next to the huge stained-glass windows, summoning a House Elf for tea and stationery as she crossed the room.

Nicolas hummed quietly to himself as he pushed up from his seat and followed her, drafting the letter in his mind. He pulled a piece of parchment off the small pile the Elf had brought and grabbed his favourite fountain pen before he settled down to write.

> _Albus,_
> 
> _This is my formal acceptance of my new position as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please send the pertaining paperwork, preferably through the Floo to save the poor owl the trip._
> 
> _Yours,_
> 
> _Nicolas Flamel_

Grasping the corner of the parchment, he carefully dragged it out of the way so he could leave it to dry. Grasping the sand shaker, he coated the ink before windlessly and wordlessly banishing the loose particles out to the creek behind the house where the sand came from.

Grabbing a piece of mundane paper, he plucked a pencil from the cup in the center of the table before writing a quick heading of “Items Needed” at the top. He looked up to see what Perenelle was doing, watching as she finished together the sandwiches the House Elves had sent up with the tea.

“Alright,” Perenelle began as she passed his plate over. “First and foremost, we’re going need the school handbook and charter. If one of our planned changes won’t work due to charter dictates, then we need to know about it _before_ we try implementing it.”

Nicolas wrote it down one-handedly as he took a bite of his sandwich, nodding along to her points. He swallowed before mentioning, “I’ll send off to Minerva McGonagall for it. Merlin knows that Albus will forget if we ask him.” He took another bite as he added to his list, explaining when he’d finished, “Second is going to be sending away to Gringotts about getting the accounting information. If the school doesn’t have money to implement our ideas, we’re going to have to find alternate sources to do so or come up with plans to do so.”

“On top of that,” Perenelle added, stirring her tea, “we’re going to need lists. Lists of the staff, the students—both current and incoming, and the residents of the school. If what we’re planning won’t have the numbers, then what’s the point?”

Nicolas nodded, adding in those points. “A map of the school if there is one would be wonderful. Making sure that the changes will have appropriate spaces is going to be crucial.”

“The House Elves will be helpful for that, I suspect. Especially if there isn’t a map of Hogwarts considering, if I remember correctly, the amount of movement that Hogwarts goes through… or is supposed to go through.”

“We’ll have to get a check on the wards once I take the mantle,” Nicolas murmured absently, picking up his cup and taking a sip. “I’ve heard rumors of a curse on one of the positions and there is another rumor of weak points in the dungeons as well as occasional issues with certain sets of stairs.”

“That is something to bring up with Gringotts when you ask for accounting information,” Perenelle reminded before she took a bite out of her own sandwich. “They are the best after all. And I trust them more than Humans to handle the issues that are sure to have cropped up.”

“Excellent point,” Nicolas agreed as he added a note to talk to Gringotts about having a team of their Warders and Cursebreakers to go through the school at some point before the doors reopened on September 1st.

After a long moment of silence, Nicolas tapped his pencil against the paper. He nodded to himself before setting the paper aside. “Anything else,” he explained at Perenelle’s raised eyebrow, “will have to wait until we’ve actually spoken to the current staff. They’re sure to have concerns and suggestions and wishes to implement.”

“You’re probably especially on point considering how well Albus takes to suggestion,” Perenelle mused with a small quirk of her lips. The look on her face made it obvious to Nicolas that she was remembering how Gods damned stubborn Albus Dumbledore could be, and how bloody _set_ the man could be when he clamped onto an idea. His mulishness would get him killed or cause a heart attack; Nicolas would bet on it. Especially since it had nearly gotten him killed several times while he was one of their students. 

Nicolas snorted as he drained the rest of his cup, standing to round the table behind and pour himself a new glass. “That is beyond understatement,” he muttered as he doctored his cup before taking a sip. “And I’m sure he’s only gotten worse as the time has gone on.”

Perenelle snickered to herself as she spun around on her seat. “Considering the letter that he just sent you, I can only assume.”

A hoot from the owl brought their attention back to him. Bobbing on the arm of the stand, the owl had obvious wolfed down his meal since no noise could be heard from that side of the room other than the rustling of feathers and scratching of talons on wood.

“Finished, are we?” Perenelle asked as she stood, setting her cup on the table. She stretched before walking over to the stand. “Ready to go outside, sweet one?” She held out her arm, a similar vambrace wrapped around her arm. The owl hopped down onto her arm and she crossed to one of the stained-glass windows.

The stained glass was an old work, the colors shimmering in a way that few modern artists could replicate anymore. The image on the glass of the main Royal families of the Magical World at their peak was a fascinating piece of Magical history and would be brain shattering to the historians interested in the Monarchies, especially since some of those lines are now gone. 

Perenelle pushed open the smaller window within the window, an image of a Magical Laurel wreath with its huge red expresso cup sized flowers containing a five-point crown. “Come back when you’re done, love,” she told the owl, patting the owl with her free hand, “We’ve got a letter for you to take back when you’re ready to return.”

The owl hooted at her before taking off out the window. She watched as the owl disappeared into the forest around the house, brown and gray feathers melding into the darkness between the trees. She hummed quietly before closing the window again, pulling the section back into place before returning to Nicolas’ side.

Two days later, the fireplace in the sitting room flared green before a box covered in some coarsely woven fabric came shooting out to land on the puffy handmade rainbow carpet in front of the fireplace. A bell rang to alert the house, and a russet-skinned House Elf arrived to pick it up, taking the package into her hands and disappearing.

“Master Nico!” she announced as she appeared in the library with the box. “There be a package for you! Abby also has questions about what you both be wanting for dinner!”

“Cori, darling, set the box on the table, would you?” Nicolas answered from in the stacks of the books. “And Abigail, sweet, the roast you had picked out works fine. Take some carrots and greens from the garden to make a salad and that should be good.”

A disembodied voice answered, “Yes, Master Nico,” as he came out between the end stacks to find that Cori had placed the box on the table. He set the books in his hands down on the closest end of the table before rounding it to the box. Bending down, he pulled one of the knives from his boots before cutting the singed binding on the wrapping, removing the string before banishing it to the bucket of burning materials outside for the firepits. He peeled the cloth away before pulling out the box within.

“Ah, my paperwork,” Nicolas hummed, pleased. “Cori, could you get Perenelle please.”

Cori’s disembodied voice replied, “Yes, Master Nico.”

He went through the paperwork, reading each piece carefully as he waited for Perenelle to arrive from the cellar where she’d been reorganizing the wine racks again. It was something she did every fifty years, moving the oldest and best wines to the front of the cellars for immediate use while moving the newer and less aged wines to the back. Anxiety also pushed her to begin reorganizing things and considering she had just reorganized the library the year before, she decided to do the cellars instead.

Footsteps out in the hallway had him looking up and he smiled when Perenelle stepped into the room, motioning her over. He wrapped an arm around her waist and greeted her with a kiss before shaking his handful of parchments. “Albus sent the paperwork. It’s the standard papers—transfer of control of the accounts, legal guardianship of several students _in loco parentis,_ legal headship of the school, etcetera,” he told her as he began spreading the pages out on the table. “You’ll need to sign as witness.” He motioned to the box as he finished, “Minerva also sent the charter book and handbook, the lists we requested were also included thankfully.”

“Did you write out the letter to go with these?” Perenelle questioned as she began to read the parchments closest to her, interested in the wording of the pages.

“I did,” Nicolas replied as he moved across the room to the side table next to the couch, pulling open the drawer and plucking out the completed parchment. “Have a look while I sign these papers.”

She took the letter from him as he summoned a fountain pen from his desk across the room. She watched a moment for him to start scribbling his signature on the bottom of the pages before turning to the letter, looking down at the looping handwriting of her husband.

> _Dear Albus,_
> 
> _I have completed the paperwork and understand it as written. I have received what I need for the mean time._
> 
> _However, I would like to meet the current staff, so please alert them to the fact that I am requesting a staff meeting on 24 June 1986. Please have them prepare syllabi for my perusal and alert them to the fact that this meeting may take several hours. If you could also speak to the Elves about setting up a dinner or other refreshments that would be appreciated._
> 
> _I will arrive early on 24 June to see you off with a proper farewell. Do not worry, I will remain unobtrusive while the students are still in residence._
> 
> _Yours,_
> 
> _Nicolas Flamel_

“Are you sure that will give us enough time, love?” Perenelle questioned, looking up at him with a slight frown furrowing her eyebrows.

“It should. We have plans and the materials needed to fulfil those plans, all we have to do is make them comprehensive.” He waved his pen, splashing a bit of ink onto his fingers. “And I’m sure that the staff will have ideas of their own, so let’s just start with the primary goals and go from there.”

“I suppose that would be for the best,” Perenelle agreed, setting the letter on the table before removing the books from the box and settling on the bench of the table. She cracked open the first book, an old red bound book, reading the title page, _Charter for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_.

She’d barely gotten through the first chapter, which listed the previous Head Teachers and bits about their tenures as Head, when a hand dropped to her shoulder. She looked up to find that Nicolas had finished and was holding out his pen for her. She set the book down on the table, grasping the pen before pushing herself up from her seat and moving over to the paperwork, signing in the appropriate places.

“I’ll take the handbook,” Nicolas commented as he grabbed up the other black bound book. He spun it between his hands, leaning over and kissing her cheek before moving to the next table, summoning a blank journal and another pen to write notes.

Humming quietly, both settled into their tasks, preparing for the next phase of their plans.

**Author's Note:**

> #  [Personal Tumblr](http://thirteenredvampirebites.tumblr.com) / [Writing Tumblr](http://crimsonswolfden.tumblr.com/) / [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Nightworldlove) / [My Writing Blog](https://kate-lee-shadows.blogspot.ca/) / Email: thirteenredangels@hotmail.com  
> 
> 
> ***Tumblr may not work. Just a warning.***  
> 


End file.
